Film Festivals

10 Films to Compete for The Big Screen Award at 43rd International Film Festival Rotterdam

JACKY IN WOMEN’S KINGDOM – Riad Sattouf

The 43rd International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) which runs 22 January to 2 February 2014, unveiled the ten nominees in The Big Screen Award Competition. In The Big Screen Award Competition, ten fresh discoveries from the festival’s main sections Spectrum and Bright Future compete for two prizes.

ANOTHER YEAR – Oxana Bychkova
He’s an unemployed guy who earns some money by giving lifts to strangers. She’s a graphic designer who just got her first job. The film tracks their relationship – and the way it gradually melts away – throughout a year. A subtle, moving portrait of an immature love that breaks down easily.

THE DISTANCE – Sergio Caballero
A performance artist is being held in a deserted Siberian power station following the unexpected death of his oligarch patron. Dryly comic surrealism (with an attractive soundtrack and three telepathic dwarves) from Tiger Award winner Caballero.

IT’S US – Nick Reding
Convincing proof that an educational, political film made in Africa (Kenya) can also be good fun. Even comical. A nonchalant mix of film and theatre, inspired by the election riots of 2007: on mistrust in a fragile community.

JACKY IN WOMEN’S KINGDOM – Riad Sattouf
In the Kingdom of the ‘Bubunnes’, women are in power while men wear veils and do domestic tasks. Jacky, a lovely young man who dreams of marrying the colonel (Charlotte Gainsbourg) has to struggle like a Cinderella to realize his dreams. Delightful satire on gender, power and veggies.

THE MILITANT – Manolo Nieto
Endearing second film from Uruguayan Tiger Award winner Nieto. During a strike at the university, Ariel (uniquely played by Felipe Dieste) hears that his father has died. He is forced to return to the provinces to put financial affairs at his father’s ranch in order.

OBVIOUS CHILD – Gillian Robespierre
Stand-up comedian Donna is dumped by her cheating boyfriend, loses her job, gets blind drunk and becomes pregnant from a one-night stand. She considers an abortion, and then gets to know the father. Romance, quirky humour and irresistible characters.

R100 – Matsumoto Hitoshi
Games can be dangerous. Director Matsumoto (Dainipponjin/Symbol) has certainly proven he can go further with Japanese absurdism, but can he stay unflappable when the game gets out of control? Find out that SM involves more than latex and whips.

REIMON – Rodrigo Moreno
Her days consist of commuting and cleaning all over Buenos Aires. While Reimon vacuums, her wealthy clients read to each other, fascinated, from Marx’s Capital. The latest film from the maker of The Minder is sober and socially committed.

SEE NO EVIL – Jos de Putter
Poetic, painful documentary about three retired apes: a film star, a scientist and a cripple. They look back at their lives and the intriguing relationship between humans and apes. Who watches whom, and who learns from this?

TO KILL A MAN – Alejandro Fernández Almendras
In their poor neighbourhood, hardworking, well-intentioned Jorge and his family are terrorised by local criminal Kalule’s clan. Exciting, disturbing film confronts viewers with universal questions of vigilantism and the value of a life.
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Slamdance Film Festival Announces 2014 Jury

The Slamdance Film Festival, which will run concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival, January 17 to 23, 2014 in Park City, Utah, announced their Jury members for the 20th Anniversary. The jury will determine the Slamdance Grand Jury Awards for Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, and Short Film categories. These awards will be presented on January 23rd during the Awards Ceremony.

JURORS FOR THE 2014 SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL:

Tom Hall is the Director of The Sarasota Film Festival in Sarasota, FL. Previously, Hall held the position of Artistic Director and Director of Programming at the Sarasota Film Festival (2005 – 2010) and Programming Director at newportFILM in Newport, RI (2009-present). In addition, Hall was Programmer for The Nantucket Film Festival in Nantucket, MA (2002-2005), as well as a former Director of New Media for Bravo/The Independent Film Channel (1997-2000). He has also worked in the Industry and Guest Services Offices at The Hamptons International Film Festival (2002-2003). In January of 2010, Tom was named one of Spring Board Media’s 20 under 40 in Film. Tom has directed short films for Bob Mould’s Carnival of Light and Sound Tour and was an inaugural member of the indieWIRE blogging community with his blog, The Back Row Manifesto, which is now a standalone website. A graduate of the University of Michigan (’94), Hall resides in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and two sons.

Matt Harrison’s feature film Kicked In The Head was Executive Produced by Martin Scorsese, released theatrically by Universal and premiered as an official selection at Cannes. His network and cable television directing credits include Sex And The City for HBO. Matt’s feature film Rhythm Thief won a Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. He recently completed his new comedy My Little Hollywood and is now preparing his sixth feature film. The production division of Harrison’s company Film Crash produced the feature film Big Heart City starring Seymour Cassel (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) and Shawn Andrews (Dazed And Confused). Matt currently teaches film at UCLA Extension and has taught graduate film at CalArts. He has lectured at New York University Tisch, AFI, São Paulo School of Film in Brazil, Syracuse University, and The New School For Social Research.

Katie Mustard has overseen the production of 32 feature films, 20 short films, three feature documentaries, and dozens of commercials. In 2013, Katie produced the documentary The Console Wars, and the narrative features We’ll Never Have Paris by Simon Helberg; Paul Bettany’s directorial debut Shelter, andThe World Made Straight. Katie has her ninth film premiere at Sundance this year with Appropriate Behavior. Other Sundance premieres include Restless City, The Missing Person, The Greatest, Special, The Son of No One, and Night Catches Uswhich went onto be nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. Katie also produced Made In China (winner Best Feature at SXSW Film Festival 2009), Natalie Portman’s short film Eve, A Case of You, and In The Morning, which screened at over 50 film festivals and before the US Congress on Human Rights.

Tim League is the Alamo Drafthouse CEO and Founder. League graduated from Rice University in 1992 with degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Art/Art History. After a two-year stint at Shell Oil, Tim left engineering to enter the theater business. In 1997, Tim and his wife Karrie founded the Alamo Drafthouse where Tim remains CEO today. League also co-founded Fantastic Fest, the largest genre film festival in the United States, and recently launched Drafthouse Films, a distribution label committed to releasing provocative, visionary, and artfully unusual films from around the world. The Alamo is expanding nationwide to New York, San Francisco, and Dallas, with many more locations on the horizon.

Herb Stratford is the Programming Director at the Napa Valley Film Festival. He also serves as a film critic in Tucson, Arizona with a weekly presence in print, on radio, and on television. Additionally, he is a Criticwire critic on IndieWire and a freelance writer and artist. Prior to all this, he restored a 1,200-seat 1929 art deco movie palace in Tucson – The Fox Tucson Theatre. He lives in Tucson, Arizona and Napa, CA when not in Park City.

Monteith McCollum is an inter-media artist working in film, sound, and sculpture. His films have screened at festivals and museums, including The Museum of Modern Art, Hirshhorn, Wexner Center for the Arts, and various festivals, including SXSW, Slamdance, Hot Docs, and Amsterdam & Osnabruck European Media Arts Festival. His films have garnered dozens of festival awards, including an IFP Truer Than Fiction Spirit Award. His first feature Hybridpremiered at Slamdance in 2001 and was broadcast on PBS’s series P.O.V. and ARTE France. His short Lawn also aired on P.O.V as well, and received top prizes at the Los Angeles Film Festival among others. His recent feature A Different Pathpremiered at South by Southwest in 2010 and was an International Documentary Association Nominee for the Pare Lorentz Award.

Andrew Edison (Writer/Actor/Director) is a young Austin-based filmmaker. His first feature, Bindlestiffs won the Audience Award at the 2012 Slamdance Film Festival and went on to be picked up by Kevin Smith as the first acquisition under his Smodcast distribution label. You can check out the film on Netflix Instant Watch, iTunes, and Amazon. Edison is currently working on his sophomore effort, as well as developing studio comedies. He lives in the Slackerwood Hills with his French bulldog, Pee Wee.

David Greenspan is an editor and director for ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. David has a BA from Harvard and an MFA from the University of Southern California. His USC graduate film, Bean Cake, won the 2001 Cannes Palme d’Or for shorts. His featureMall Cop premiered at Slamdance 2005 and will be released this March.

Lise Raven is a Writer/Director/Producer. Raven’s first feature film, Low, was one of the founding Slamdance Film Festival films, after which she wrote and directed three films for the Showtime Cable network. In 2000, Raven moved to Berlin, Germany after being awarded the DAAD Berliner Künstlerprogramm Artist Residency in Film. Raven’s feature film project Snipe received development funding from the Irish Film Board. Lise was selected to develop Snipe at the prestigious Moonstone Director’s Lab in Drymen, Scotland. Raven is also an Assistant Professor at Drexel University Department of Cinema and Television. Raven’s feature film Kinderwald is playing out of competition as the Closing Night Film of the 2014 Slamdance Film Festival.

Jacques Thelemaque is a writer-director, who, in 1993, co-founded Filmmakers Alliance, and in 2004, FA Productions, of which he is co-president. He is the former Chief Community Officer at Withoutabox.com. Jacques has written and directed numerous short films, including Transaction, which played at the Sundance Film Festival, and won the Grand Prix du Jury Award in the Labo Competition at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. Thelemaque wrote, directed and produced the feature film The Dogwalker, as well as producing five other feature films. He has been a juror, guest lecturer, or invited speaker for many film schools, film festivals, film organizations, workshops, and other film-related events. He has been a programming associate for the Los Angeles Film Festival since 2011.

Kendall Shanks (formally Kendall Music) is a self-taught artist and filmmaker out of Chapel Hill, NC. Kendall specializes in art and set design. In 2012, Kendall created the characters for the stop motion film Wiggle Room. Wiggle Room would go on to win the 42nd annual USA Film Festival and be one of 56 animated shorts films in contention for an Oscar nomination in 2012. She currently is the production designer for the Shanks FX web series and is in-charge of developing the content for each episode. “If you’re making an experimental film, the Shanks FX series is essentially the bible.” NoFilmSchool (Nov 2013).

Joey Shanks had his short film Sci-Fly screen at Slamdance in 2013, where he also proposed to his now wife Kendall Shanks during the Q&A’s at their last screening. Shanks is a filmmaker who optimizes the DIY approach to making movies. His web series Shanks FX is produced by PBS Digital Studios and gives an in-depth look at how his signature visual effects are achieved. Shanks FX has been featured by IndieWire, NoFilmSchool, USA Today, Colossal, Gizmodo, Geek Magazine, and has received two Vimeo Staff picks.

Skizz Cyzyk has held positions at MicroCineFest, Maryland Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, and has served on juries and advisory boards at many other festivals. This is his 18th year as a Slamdance projectionist, 11th year on the Slamdance advisory board, and 7th non-consecutive year on the Slamdance jury. A filmmaker since 1983, his films include Hit & Stay, Freaks In Love, Little Castles, Managers Corner, and music videos for Beach House and Young Fresh Fellows. He also performs music with Go Pills, The Jennifers, Garage Sale, Half Japanese, and Mink Stole & Her Wonderful Band.
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Santa Barbara International Film Festival Unveils 2014 Film Lineup; Fest to Open with World Premiere of MISSION BLUE

The 29th Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), taking place Thursday, January 30 through Sunday, February 9, 2014, announced its line-up for 2014. SBIFF 2014 will kick off at the historic Arlington Theatre with the World Premiere of MISSION BLUE, directed by Robert Nixon and Fisher Stevens. On Closing Night, SBIFF will present the critically acclaimed BEFORE TRILOGY: BEFORE SUNRISE, BEFORE SUNSET and BEFORE MIDNIGHT.

OPENING & CLOSING NIGHT GALAS

In MISSION BLUE, directed by Robert Nixon and Fisher Stevens, Legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle is on a personal mission to save the Ocean. Shot over a three-year period in numerous locations around the world, Mission Blue traces Sylvia’s remarkable personal journey, from her earliest memories exploring the Ocean as a young girl, to her days leading a daring undersea mission in the Virgin Islands to her experience as the chief scientist at NOAA and beyond. The film is part oceanic road trip; part biography; part action adventure story. Guiding us through the film is Fisher Stevens, whose own lifelong passion for the Ocean inspired him to produce the Academy award winning film, The Cove. In many ways, Mission Blue is an extension of that earlier film. But rather than explore a single issue, Mission Blue tackles the daunting challenge of how to protect a once vibrant system that is now under attack like never before. As a witness to change over the past 60 years, Sylvia is a steadfast warrior, leading the charge to restore it to health before it’s too late. The film also features James Cameron and the late Mike deGruy.

On Closing Night, SBIFF proudly presents the critically acclaimed Before Trilogy: BEFORE SUNRISE, BEFORE SUNSET and BEFORE MIDNIGHT. The first two films will screen back-to-back at the Lobero Theatre in the afternoon. After a short break, Before Midnight will close the fest at the Arlington Theatre and will include an in-depth Conversation moderated by IndieWIRE’s Anne Thompson with co-screenwriters Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater, who also directed the film. The Before trilogy has been a critical darling since Before Sunrise was released in 1995. The film, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, portrayed a young couple meeting for the first time on a train who decide to spend the whole day together in Vienna with the chance of never seeing one another again. The sequel, Before Sunset, was released nine years later in 2004, with Hawke’s Jesse and Delpy’s Celine meeting each other again by chance in Paris. The beloved characters were most recently together in this year’s Before Midnight, where we find Jesse and Celine nine years later into their relationship and vacationing in Greece.

WORLD PREMIERES

A Life Outside, USA
Directed by Catherine Brabec
Featuring: Greg Mesanko, Chris Mesanko, Kevin Casey, Jim Purpuri, Richard Luthringer, and Bucky Walters
A documentary following the six surfers who pioneered the 1960’s surf break at the New Jersey Casino Pier.

A Year in Champagne, USA
Directed by David Kennard
A detailed portrait of winemakers and their families reveals some of the most intimate secrets behind creating the legendary bubbly beverage.

Barefoot, USA
Directed by Andrew Fleming
Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Scott Speedman, Brittany Alger
An upper-class, hard-luck gambler invites a shoeless eccentric to his brother’s lavish southern style wedding to prove he’s changed his ways.

BFFs, USA
Directed by Andrew Putschoegl
Cast: Andrea Grano, Tara Karsian
Looking for a few days of vacation and amusement, two best friends pretend to be lovers while attending a couple’s weekend workshop.

Bottled Up: The Battle Over Dublin Dr. Pepper, USA
Directed by Drew Rist
This documentary details the events and history leading up to the demise of Dublin Dr. Pepper, as well as the public outcry that continues to this day.

Chu and Blossom, USA
Directed by Charles Chu, Gavin Kelly
Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Caitlin Stasey, Alan Cumming
A coming of age comedy centers on an unlikely brotherhood between a pensive, 6-foot-8 Korean exchange student, and a performance artist, both trapped together in small Southern town.

Driven, USA
Directed by Ben Pitterie, Brian Hall
Explore the fascinating and obscure world of marathon swimming as three swimmers put everything on the line chasing a dream to swim up to 20 miles across the Santa Barbara Channel.

Falcon Song, USA
Directed by Jason Brown
Cast: Gabriel Sunday, James Storm, Martin Kove, Rainey Qualley
A whimsical portrait of a guitar-playing drifter who helps a rancher’s granddaughter find her true calling

Gurukulam, Canada/USA
Directed by Jillian Elizabeth & Neil Dalal
A group of students and their teacher confront fundamental questions about the nature of reality and self-identity at a remote forest ashram in southern India.

Invitation to Dance, USA
Directed by Simi Linton and Christian von Tippelskirch
An activist, an avant-garde of disabled dancers, and a quest: equality, justice, and a place on the dance floor.

The Last One, USA
Directed by Nadine C. Licostie
This feature-length documentary traces the history of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and the role it continues to play as a response to the disease itself.

Lutah Maria Riggs, USA
Directed by Kum-Kum Bhavnani
A documentary about Lutah Maria Riggs, an American architect who worked for several decades in the Southern California region

Menthol, USA
Directed by Micah Van Hove
Cast: Jacob King, James Wilson, Johnny Wactor, Luke Eberl
When four friends reunite for a night of fun in their hometown, a crisis forces them to confront the consequences of their lifestyles.

Mission Blue, USA
Directed by Robert Nixon and Fisher Stevens
Cast: Sylvia Earle, James Cameron, Mike deGruy,
Legendary oceanographer and TED prize winner Dr. Sylvia Earle is on a mission to save our oceans. The documentary Mission Blue is the story of Sylvia’s life as witness to the changes to the sea that threaten our planet, and how we still have a chance to repair much of the damage – if we act now.

Mount Joy, USA
Directed by Jack Lewars
Cast: Katie Hyde, Jay Della Valle, Brandon Harris and Timothy Hoobler
A lead singer places his band’s national bar tour on hold until he gets answers from the girl who broke his heart, but soon discovers she harbors a secret that could change everything.

Night Has Settled, USA
Directed by Steve Clark
Cast: Spencer List, Pilar López de Ayala, Adriana Barraza
In 1983 New York City, a thirteen-year-old boy well-poised to enter the precocious teenage world of sex, vodka, and the possibilities of love, is traumatized by an encounter with his housekeeper.

Noble, United Kingdom
Directed by Stephen Bradley
Cast: Dierdre O’Kane, Sarah Greene, Brendan Coyle, Liam Cunningham, Nhu Quynh Nguyen, Ruth Negga
In 1989 Vietnam, a funny, feisty and courageous woman overcomes the difficulties of her childhood in Ireland to discover her destiny on the streets of Saigon.

Queens & Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo, USA
Directed by Matt Livadary
Roping and riding and busting stereotypes, the dauntless members of the International Gay Rodeo Association face constant obstacles in their quest to qualify for the World Gay Rodeo Finals.

Roaming Wild, USA
Directed by Sylvia Johnson
Featuring: Samantha Layne (voice)
An activist, a cowboy and a mountain man search for solutions to protect life and land in this modern day Western about America’s wild horses and the federal government’s controversial roundups.

Sam, Switzerland
Directed by Elena Hazanov
Cast: Frédéric Landenberg, Sacha Guerreiro, Séverine Bujard, Anna Pieri
After living with his mother since his parents’ divorce, seven-year-old Sam is forced to move in with his father, a struggling writer with no source of inspiration.

The Village of Peace, Israel/USA
Directed by Nicholas Philipides, Ben Schuder
The stories of four African Hebrew Israelites illuminate a community whose daily lifestyle includes polygamy, health, nutrition, education and spiritual enlightenment.

Warren, USA
Directed by Alex Beh
Cast: John Heard, Jean Smart, Austin Stowell, Sarah Habel, Joe Nunez
After giving up on making it in the Chicago improv scene, a young comedian fatefully reconnects with the former love of his life one fall night while working at a coffee shop in his hometown.

U.S. PREMIERES

African Metropolis, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya
A complication of short films directed by Jim Chuchu, Ahmed Ghoneimy, Folasakin Iwajomo, Marie KA, Philippe Lacôte, Vincent Moloi
A compilation of six short fiction films, set in six major African cities.

A la Bizkaina, Spain
Directed by Aritz Galarza
The mystery of the sauce carrying the name of Bizkaia gives us a hint of its origin and ingredients.

Adria Blues, Slovenia/Croatia/Bosnia/Herzegovina
Directed by Miroslav Mandič
Cast: Senad Bašić, Mojca Funkl, Peter Musevski
Paralyzed by depression, an aging former rock star from Bosnia is pushed by his wife to reengage with life.

Algunas Chicas, Argentina
Directed by Santiago Palavecino
Cast: Cecilia Rainero, Agostina López, Agustina Muñoz
A woman traveling to a friend’s house to escape her marital crisis is soon consumed by the secrets of those around her.

The Amazing Catfish, Mexico
Directed by Claudia Sainte-Luce
Cast: Ximena Ayala, Lisa Owen, Sonia Franco, Wendy Guillén
A lonely young woman becomes a live-in caregiver for an ailing but indomitable matriarch and her brood of kids.

Bauyr (Little Brother), Kazakhstan
Directed by Serik Aprymov
Cast: Almat Galym, Alisher Aprymov, Murat Omarov, Dokhdurbek Kydyraliyev
A nine year old living on his own is revisited by his brother, and believes his life will change with his arrival.

Bella Vita, USA/Italy
Directed by Jason Baffa
Cast: Chris Del Moro, Dave Rastovich, Lauren Lyndsey Hill, Conner Coffin, Parker Coffin
The surf of the Italian coast carries surfer, artist, and environmentalist Chris Del Moro on a pilgrimage back to his ancestral homeland of Italy.

Cannibal (Caníbal), Spain/Romania/Russia/France
Directed by Manuel Martín Cuenca
Cast: Antonio de la Torre, Olimpia Melinte
A mild-mannered tailor, who is a secret cannibal, unexpectedly finds himself falling in love with his latest prospective victim.

César’s Grill, Ecuador/Germany/Switzerland
Directed by Dario Aguirre
Cast: Dario Aguirre, César Aguirre
German resident, filmmaker, and vegetarian, Dario Aguirre is called home to Ecuador to help save his meat-loving father’s grill from bankruptcy.

Clownwise, Czech Republic/Luxembourg/Finland
Directed by Viktor Taus
Cast: Julie Ferrier, Kati Outinen, Didier Flamand
After thirty years of separation, three clowns reunite to restage the famous act that launched their careers — while also attempting to forgive one another for the fight that tore them apart.

Do You Believe in Love?, Israel
Directed by Dani Wasserman
Tova, a unique matchmaker with muscular dystrophy, tirelessly strives to find love for everyone around her.

Found & Lost, China
Directed by Xiao Wei Zhu
Cast: Guo Zhu Zhang, Yu Meng Jia
Chronicles the pilgrimage of an orphaned woman in China between 1949 to 1984.

The Gambler (Losejas), Lithuania/Latvia
Directed by Ignas Jonynas
Cast: Vytautas Kaniusonis, Oona Mekas, Rimas Blockis
A paramedic, passionate about gambling, is struck by an idea to create an illegal game related to his profession.

God’s Slave (Esclavo de Dios), Uruguay/Venezuela/Argentina
Directed by Joel Novoa
Cast: Mohammed Alkhaldi, Daniela Alvarado, Devorah Lynne Dishington
Inspired by true events, this is the story of two extremists, one Islamic and the other Jewish, who cross paths while on opposing sides of the 1994 Buenos Aires AMIA bombings.

Eastern Boys, France
Directed by Robin Campillo
Cast: Olivier Rabourdin, Kirill Emelyanov, Daniil Vorobyov
A middle-aged Frenchman solicits a young foreigner and finds himself entangled with a group of young Eastern European hustlers.

If I Close My Eyes I’m Not Here (Se chiudo gli occhi non sono più qui), Italy
Directed by Vittorio Moroni
Cast: Mark Manaloto, Elena Arvigo, Beppe Fiorello, Giorgio Colangeli
A teenage boy, tormented into a submissive life, is visited and mentored by a mysterious old friend of his deceased father.

The Japanese Dog, Romania
Directed by Tudor Cristian Jurgiu
Cast: Victor Rebengiuc, Serban Pavlu, Laurentiu Lazar, Kana Hashimoto, Toma Hashimoto
When a flood kills his wife and destroys his house, a man attempts to reconnect with his son who arrives from Japan with his wife and child.

Metalhead, Iceland
Directed by Ragnar Bragason
Cast: Þorbjörg Helga Þorgilsdóttir, Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir
A grief-stricken young woman adopts the persona and decibel-blasting predilections of her deceased brother

October November (Oktober November), Austria
Directed by Götz Spielmann
Cast: Nora von Waldstätten, Ursula Strauss, Peter Simonischek, Sebastian Koch, Johannes Zeiler, Andreas Ressl
A family reunion at a mountainside inn lays bare old wounds and reveals long-held secrets.

The Old, the Young and the Sea, Austria/Spain
Directed by Mario Hainzl
A documentary portrait about the incredible individuals who inhabit, surf, travel and protect the European shores.

One Way Ticket to the Moon (Bilet na księżyc), Poland
Directed by Jacek Bromski
Cast: Anna Przybylska, Filip Pawlak, Mateusz Kościukiewicz
Two brothers travel across Poland, a adventure sparked by the older to prepare his younger brother to serve in the Polish army.

Paulette, France
Directed by Jérôme Enrico
Cast: Bernadette Lafont, Carmen Maura, Dominique Lavanant
Paulette lives alone in a housing project in the Paris suburbs. With her meager pension, she can no longer make ends meet and becomes and resorts to selling drugs.

Revival, Czech Republic
Directed by Alice Nellis
Cast: Bolek Polivka, Miroslav Krobot, Karel Hermanek, Marian Geisberg, Zuzana Budovska
Forty years after separating, four friends decide to reunite their rock band through a revival that takes an unexpected turn.

Saudade, Uruguay
Directed by Juan Carlos Donoso Gomez
Cast: Francisco Baquerizo Racines, Jessica Barahona de Prada, Joaquin Davila Romoleroux
Set amidst the backdrop of the Ecuadorian economic crisis of 1999, ‘Saudade’ tackles notions of economic dislocation, friendship, family and young love.

Shadow in Baghdad, Israel
Directed by Duki Dror
Featuring: Linda Abdul Aziz
A young journalist from Baghdad connects with a Jewish woman who escaped to Iraq to discover what happened to her missing father.

Solo, Venezuela
Directed by José Ramón Novoa
Cast: Samantha Dagnino, Laureano Olivares
A story of one man’s quest for redemption

Triptych (Triptyque), Canada
Directed by Robert Lepage, Pedro Pires
Cast: Frédérike Bédard, Lise Castonguay, Hans Piesbergen
The lives of three characters intersect in the sublime narrative geometry of this haunting adaptation of Robert Lepage’s celebrated theatre work Lipsynch.

Under the Starry Sky, France/Senegal
Directed by Dyana Gaye
Cast: Marème Demba Ly, Ralph Amoussou, Souleymane Seye N’Diaye, Maya Sansa, Babacar M’Baye Fall, Sokhna Niang, Mata Gabin
Delving into the shadowy world of undocumented travel, this transcontinental drama charts the interconnected destinies of three far-flung sojourners.

uwantme2killhim?, United Kingdom
Directed by Andrew Douglas
Cast: Jamie Blackley, Toby Regbo, Jaime Winstone, Mark Womack, Joanne Froggatt
A teenage boy descends into the dangerous world of the internet and the harrowing consequences of his actions.

Violet, Spain
Directed by Luiso Berdejo
Cast: Junio Valverde, Leticia Dolera, Miriam Giovanelli, Ricardo Darín, Carlos Bardem
A Spanish boy living in Santa Monica falls for a girl he sees in an old Polaroid. He decides to look for her, despite having no clue of who she is or how long ago the photo was taken.

Wounded (La herida), Spain
Directed by Fernando Franco
Cast: Marian Alvarez, Rosana Pastor, Manolo Solo, Andres Gertrudix, Ramon Agirre, Ramon Barea
An ambulance driver struggles with outbreaks of self-destructive behavior, incapable of finding stability and happiness.

COMPETITION CATEGORIES

INDEPENDENT FEATURES
Competition

1982, USA
Directed by Tommy Oliver 
Cast: Wayne Brady, Hill Harper, Sharon Leal, Ruby Dee, Bokeem Woodbine, Troi Zee, Lala Anthony, Quinton Aaron

BFFs, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Andrew Putschoegl
Cast: Andrea Grano, Tara Karsian

Barefoot, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Andrew Flemming
Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Scott Speedman, Brittany Alger

Chu and Blossom, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Charles Chu, Gavin Kelly
Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Caitlin Stasey, Alan Cumming

Mount Joy, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Jack Lewars
Cast: Katie Hyde, Jay Della Valle, Brandon Harris and Timothy Hoobler

Night Has Settled, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Steve Clark
Cast: Spencer List, Pilar López de Ayala, Adriana Barraza

Noble, United Kingdom – World Premiere
Directed by Stephen Bradley
Cast: Dierdre O’Kane, Sarah Greene, Brendan Coyle, Liam Cunningham, Nhu Quynh Nguyen, Ruth Negga

Warren, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Alex Beh
Cast: John Heard, Jean Smart, Austin Stowell, Sarah Habel, Joe Nunez

INTERNATIONAL FEATURES
Competition

Eastern Boys, France – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Robin Campillo
Cast: Olivier Rabourdin, Kirill Emelyanov, Daniil Vorobyov

Found & Lost, China – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Xiao Wei Zhu
Cast: Guo Zhu Zhang, Yu Meng Jia

For A Woman (Pour une femme), France
Directed by Diane Kurys
Cast: Benoit Magimel, Melanie Thierry, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Sylvie Testud, Denis Podalydes, Julie Ferrier, Clotilde Hesme, Clement Sibony

If I Close My Eyes I’m Not Here (Se chiudo gli occhi non sono più qui), Italy – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Vittorio Moroni
Cast: Mark Manaloto, Elena Arvigo, Beppe Fiorello, Giorgio Colangeli

The Major, Russia
Directed by Yuri Bykov
Cast: Yuri Bykov, Denis Shvedov, Irina Nizina, Ilya Isaev

Metalhead, Iceland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Ragnar Bragason
Cast: Þorbjörg Helga Þorgilsdóttir, Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir

October November (Oktober November), Austria – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Götz Spielmann
Cast: Nora von Waldstätten, Ursula Strauss, Peter Simonischek, Sebastian Koch, Johannes Zeiler, Andreas Ressl

Sam, Switzerland – World Premiere
Directed by Elena Hazanov
Cast: Frédéric Landenberg, Sacha Guerreiro, Séverine Bujard, Anna Pieri

Triptych (Triptyque), Canada – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Robert Lepage, Pedro Pires
Cast: Frédérike Bédard, Lise Castonguay, Hans Piesbergen

Under the Starry Sky, France/Senegal – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Dyana Gaye
Cast: Marème Demba Ly, Ralph Amoussou, Souleymane Seye N’Diaye, Maya Sansa, Babacar M’Baye Fall, Sokhna Niang, Mata Gabin

Victor Young Perez, France/Israel/Bulgaria
Directed by Jacques Ouaniche
Cast: Brahim Asloum, Steve Suissa, Isabelle Orsini, Patrick Bouchitey

EASTERN BLOC FEATURES
Competition

Adria Blues, Slovenia/Croatia/Bosnia/Herzegovina – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Miroslav Mandic
Cast: Senad Bašić, Mojca Funkl, Peter Musevski

Bauyr (Little Brother), Kazakhstan – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Serik Aprymov
Cast: Almat Galym, Alisher Aprymov, Murat Omarov, Dokhdurbek Kydyraliyev

Clownwise, Czech Republic/Luxembourg/Finland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Viktor Taus
Cast: Julie Ferrier, Kati Outinen, Didier Flamand

The Gambler (Losejas), Lithuania/Latvia – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Ignas Jonynas
Cast: Vytautas Kaniusonis, Oona Mekas, Rimas Blockis

The Japanese Dog, Romania – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Tudor Cristian Jurgiu
Cast: Victor Rebengiuc, Serban Pavlu, Laurentiu Lazar, Kana Hashimoto, Toma Hashimoto

One Way Ticket to the Moon (Bilet na księżyc), Poland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jacek Bromski
Cast: Fillip Pawlak, Mateusz Kościukiewicz, Anna Przybylska

Revival, Czech Republic – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Alice Nellis
Cast: Bolek Polivka, Miroslav Krobot, Karel Hermanek, Marian Geisberg, Zuzana Budovska

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Competition

A la Bizkaina, Spain – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Aritz Galarza

Bella Vita, USA/Italy – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jason Baffa
Cast: Chris Del Moro, Dave Rastovich, Lauren Lyndsey Hill, Conner Coffin, Parker Coffin

Burt’s Buzz, Canada – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jody Shapiro
Cast: Burt Shavitz, Trevor Folsom

César’s Grill, Ecuador/Germany/Switzerland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Dario Aguirre
Cast: Dario Aguirre, César Aguirre

Do You Believe in Love?, Israel – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Daniel Wasserman

Gurukulam, Canada/USA – World Premiere
Directed by Jillian Elizabeth and Neil Dalal

The Last Black Sea Pirates, Bulgaria
Directed by Svetoslav Stoyanov

On A River in Ireland, Ireland
Directed by Colin Stafford-Johnson
Cast: Colin Stafford-Johnson

Queens & Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Matt Livadary

The Village of Peace, Israel/USA – World Premiere
Directed by Nicholas Philipides, Ben Schuder

SPANISH/LATIN AMERICAN CINEMA
Competition

Algunas chicas (Some Girls), Argentina – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Santiago Palavecino
Cast: Cecilia Rainero, Agostina López, Agustina Muñoz

The Amazing Catfish (Los insólitos peces gato), Mexico – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Claudia Sainte-Luce
Cast: Ximena Ayala, Lisa Owen, Sonia Franco, Wendy Guillén

Cannibal (Caníbal), Spain/Romania/Russia/France – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Manuel Martín Cuenca
Cast: Antonio de la Torre, Olimpia Melinte

God’s Slave (Esclavo de dios), Uruguay/Venezuela/Argentina – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Joel Novoa
Cast: Mohammed Alkhaldi, Daniela Alvarado, Devorah Lynne Dishington

Saudade, Uruguay – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Juan Carlos Donoso Gomez
Cast: Francisco Baquerizo Racines, Jessica Barahona de Prada, Joaquin Davila Romoleroux

Solo, Venezuela – U.S. Premiere
Directed by José Ramón Novoa
Cast: Samantha Dagnino, Laureano Olivares

Sombras de azul (Shades of Blue), Cuba
Directed by Kelly Daniela Norris
Cast: Seedne Bujaidar, Yasmani Guerrero, Charlotta Mohlin, Lieter Ledesma

Violet, Spain – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Luiso Berdejo
Cast: Junio Valverde, Leticia Dolera, Miriam Giovanelli, Ricardo Darín, Carlos Bardem

Wounded (La herida), Spain – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Fernando Franco
Cast: Marian Alvarez, Rosana Pastor, Manolo Solo, Andres Gertrudix, Ramon Agirre, Ramon Barea

FUND FOR SANTA BARBARA SOCIAL JUSTICE
Competition

Bottled Up: The Battle Over Dublin Dr. Pepper, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Drew Rist

Hue: A Matter of Colour, Canada – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Vic Sarin

Invitation to Dance, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Christian von Tippelskirch

The Last One, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Nadine C. Licostie

The Passage, Panama
Directed by Alexander Douglas

Roaming Wild, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Sylvia Johnson
Featuring: Samantha Layne (voice)

Shadow in Baghdad, Israel/France/UK/Jordan/Iraq – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Duki Dror

Through A Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People, USA Directed by Thomas Allen Harris

NON–COMPETITION FILMS

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

15 Years + 1 Day (15 años y un dia), Spain
Directed by Gracia Querejeta
Cast: Maribel Verdú, Tito Valverde, Arón Piper, Belén López

African Metropolis, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya – U.S. Premiere
A complication of short films directed by Jim Chuchu, Ahmed Ghoneimy, Folasakin Iwajomo, Marie KA, Philippe Lacôte, Vincent Moloi

Child’s Pose (Pozitia copilului), Romania
Directed by Calin Peter Netzer
Cast: Luminita Gheorghiu, Bogdan Dumitrache, Natasa Raab

Code Black, USA
Directed by Ryan McGarry
Cast: Ryan McGarry, Danny Cheng, Jamie Eng, Dave Pomeranz, Andrew Eads

Gabrielle, Canada
Directed by Louise Archambault
Cast: Gabrielle Marion-Rivard, Alexandre Landry, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin

Heart of a Lion, Finland/Sweden
Directed by Dome Karukoski
Cast: Peter Franzén, Laura Birn, Jasper Pääkkönen, Yusufa Sidibeh

La Juala de Oro (The Golden Dream), Guatemala/Spain/Mexico
Directed by Diego Quemada-Díez
Cast: Brandon López, Rodolfo Domínguez, Karen Martínez

My Sweet Pepper Land, Kurdistan/France/Germany
Directed by Hinder Saleem
Cast: Korkmaz Arslan, Golshifteh Farahani, Suat Usta

The Notebook, Hungary/Germany/Austria/France
Directed by János Szász
Cast: András Gyémánt, László Gyémánt, Piroska Molnár, Ulrich Thomsen, Ulrich Matthes

Of Horses and Men (Hross í oss), Iceland/Germany
Directed by Benedikt Erlingsson
Cast: Ingvar Eggert Sigurõsson

One Chance, United Kingdom
Directed by David Frankel
Cast: James Corden, Alexandra Roach, Julie Walters, Mackenzie Crook, Colm Meaney

We Are the Best! (Vi är bäst!). Sweden/Denmark
Directed by Lukas Moodysson
Cast: Mira Barkhammar, Mira Grosin, Liv LeMoyne

PAN ASIA

Cold Eyes, South Korea
Directed by Cho Ui-seok, Kim Byung-seo
Cast: Seol Kyung-gu, Jung Woo-sung, Han Hyo-joo, Lee Jun-ho, Jin Gyeong

Found & Lost, China – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Xiao Wei Zhu
Cast: Guo Zhu Zhang, Yu Meng Jia

Ilo ilo, Singapore
Directed by Anthony Chen
Cast: Koh Jia Ler, Angeli Bayani, Tian Wen Chen, Yann Yann Yeo

The Missing Picture (L’image manquante), Cambodia/France
Directed by Rithy Panh
Cast: Randal Douc (voice)

Siddharth, Canada/India
Directed by Richie Mehta
Cast: Rajesh Tailang, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Anurag Arora, Geeta Agrawal Sharma, Naseeruddin Shah

Transit, Philippines
Directed by Hannah Espia
Cast: Jasmine Curtis Smith, Ping Medina, Irma Adlawan, Mercedes Cabral, and Marc Justine Alvarez

Unforgiven (Yurusarezaru mono), Japan
Directed by Lee Sang-il
Cast: Ken Watanabe, Akira Emoto, Koichi Sato

KOLNOA

Bethlehem, Israel
Directed by Yuval Adler
Cast: Shadi Mar’I, Tsahi Halevy, Hitham Omari, Tarek Copti, Michal Shtemler, Hisham Suliman, George Iskandar, Yossi Eini, Efrat Shnap, Karem Shakur, Ibrahim Sakala

Cupcakes, Israel
Directed by Eytan Fox
Cast: Anat Waxman, Keren Berger, Ofer Shechter, Efrat Dor

Do You Believe in Love?, Israel – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Daniel Wasserman

Shadow in Baghdad, Israel/France/UK/Jordan/Iraq – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Duki Dror

Transit, Philippines
Directed by Hannah Espia
Cast: Jasmine Curtis Smith, Ping Medina, Irma Adlawan, Mercedes Cabral, and Marc Justine Alvarez

A Universal Language, Canada
Directed by Igal Hecht

The Village of Peace, Israel/USA – World Premiere
Directed by Nicholas Philipides, Ben Schuder

SCREEN CUISINE

A la Bizkaina, Spain – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Aritz Galarza

A Year in Champagne, USA – World Premiere
Directed by David Kennard

Bottled Up: The Battle Over Dublin Dr Pepper, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Drew Rist
Cast: Josh Gobin (voice)

César’s Grill, Ecuador/Germany/Switzerland – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Dario Aguirre
Cast: Dario Aguirre, César Aguirre

Dog Days, Canada/USA
Directed by Laura Waters Hinson, Kasey Kirby
Cast: Coite Manuel, Siyone, Deane

Le Chef (Comme un chef), France/Spain
Directed by Daniel Cohen
Cast: Jean Reno, Michaël Youn, Raphaelle Agogue, James Gerard

Make Hummus Not War, Australia
Directed by Trevor Graham

Paulette, France – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jérôme Enrico
Cast: Bernadette Lafont, Carmen Maura, Dominique Lavanant

THE WORLD LAUGHS

The Grand Seduction, Canada
Directed by Don McKeller
Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Taylor Kitsch, Liane Balaban

Le Chef (Comme un chef), France/Spain
Directed by Daniel Cohen
Cast: Jean Reno, Michaël Youn, Raphaelle Agogue, James Gerard

Paulette, France – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jérôme Enrico
Cast: Bernadette Lafont, Carmen Maura, Dominique Lavanant

The Priest’s Children (Svećenikova djeca), Croatia
Directed by Vinko Brešan
Cast: Kresimir Mikic, Niksa Butijer, Marija Skaricic, Drazen Kühn, Jadranka Dokic

Revival, Czech Republic – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Alice Nellis
Cast: Bolek Polivka, Miroslav Krobot, Karel Hermanek, Marian Geisberg, Zuzana Budovska

A Universal Language, Canada
Directed by Igal Hecht

When Jews Were Funny, Canada
Directed by Alan Zweig
Cast: Howie Mandel, Shelley Berman, Norm Crosby, Shecky Greene, Jack Carter, David Steinberg, Andy Kindler, Elon Gold, Gilbert Gottfreid, David Brenner, Bob Einstein, Judy Gold, Marc Maron

TO THE MAXXX

Bella Vita, Italy/USA – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Jason Baffa
Cast: Chris Del Moro, Dave Rastovich, Lauren Lyndsey Hill, Conner Coffin, Parker Coffin

Driven, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Ben Pitterie, Brian Hall

The Old, the Young and the Sea, Austria/Spain/Portugal/France – U.S. Premiere
Directed by Mario Hainzl

A Life Outside, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Catherine Brabec
Cast: Greg Mesanko, Chris Mesanko, Kevin Casey, Jim Purpuri, Richard Luthringer, and Bucky Walters

APPLEBOX

Frozen, USA
Directed by Chuck Buck, Jennifer Lee
Cast: Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff

Despicable Me 2, USA
Directed by Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand

Monsters University, USA
Directed by Dan Scanlon
Cast: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi

SANTA BARBARA FEATURES

Lutah Maria Riggs, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Kum-Kum Bhavnani

BridgeWalkers, USA
Directed by Kara Rhodes
Cast: Irene Bedard (voice)

Falcon Song, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Jason Brown
Cast: Gabriel Sunday, James Storm, Martin Kove, Rainey Qualley

Menthol, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Micah Van Hove
Cast: Jacob King, Luke Eberl

Orenthal: The Musical, USA
Directed by Jeff Rosenberg
Cast: Jordan Kenneth Kamp, Larisa Oleynik, Malcolm Barrett

Selma Rubin and Community of Life, USA
Directed by Beezhan Tulu
Featuring: Selma Rubin

Tough Bond, USA
Directed by Austin Peck

SHORTS PROGRAMS

ANIMATED SHORTS

Bakerman & The Bunnymen, USA
Directed by Scout Raskin
Cast: Andrew Racho, Scout Raskin

Drunker Than a Skunk, USA
Directed by Bill Plympton
Cast: Walt Curtis

Flamingo, Venezuela
Directed by Carl Zitelmann

The Gravedigger’s Tale, United Kingdom
Directed by Min Young Oh
Cast: Duncan Roberts

The House with No Doors, United Kingdom
Directed by Oana Nechifor

Me + Her, USA
Directed by Joseph Oxford

Sebastian, Russian Federation/USA
Directed by Vlad Marsavin
Cast: Alex Kharlamov, Arina Yagovkina, Elena Yagovkina, Milana Albakova

Tome of the Unknown, USA
Directed by Patrick McHale
Cast: Elijah Wood, Warren Burton, Natasha Leggero, C.W. Stoneking

Woody, Australia
Directed by Stuart Bowen

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

Cowtown Keeylocko, USA
Directed by Ira Chute
Cast: Edward Keeylocko

Do Not Duplicate, USA
Directed by Mary Anne Rothberg

The Kids of 5114, USA
Directed by Scott Brown

Real Change, USA
Directed by Adam Becker

Running Blind, USA
Directed by Ryan Suffern
Featuring: E.J. Scott

DRAMATIC SHORTS

H.O.G.’s Tooth, USA
Directed by Loren F. Gilley
Cast: Grant Alan Ouzts, Jordan Butcher, Kendra Thomas

Little Secret, Czech Republic
Directed by Martin Krejci
Cast: Adam Misik, Klara Cibulkova, Jenovefa Bokova

Looms, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Funk Brothers
Cast: Timothy Murphy, Ellen Soderberg (voice)

My Father’s Truck, Germany
Directed by Mauricio Osaki
Cast: Trung Anh, Ly Phan, Mai Vy

They Came at Night, Congo/USA – World Premiere
Directed by Andrew Ellis
Cast: Godefroid Maka, Innocent Mbula, Pascal Kunbawo

SCREEN CUISINE SHORTS

Mabel, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Pia Clemente
Featuring Mabel Sawhill

People & Plates, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Miguel Calayan
Cast: Christian Navarro

Sausage, United Kingdom
Directed by Robert Grieves

Sikh Formaggio, Italy/USA
Directed by Devyn Bisson, Katie Wise, Dan Duran

The Story of an Egg, USA
Directed by Douglas Gayeton
Cast: Alexis Koefoed, David Evans, Nancy Gleason

The Trouble with Bread, USA
Directed by Maggie Beidelman

SHORT FICTION

Across Grace Ally, USA
Directed by Ralph Macchio
Cast: Ben Hyland, Karina Smirnoff, Marsha Mason

Bunion, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Jessica Sanders
Cast: Avi Rothman, Alia Shawkat, Michaela Watkins, Misty Thomas, Steve Ireland

A Letter Home, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Markus Walter
Cast: Adelaid Kane, Peter Vack

Mr. Polman Wants to Fit In, USA
Directed by Carla Dauden
Cast: William Knight, Ann Benson, Ruben Vernier

The Pamplemousse, Canada
Directed by Jonathan Watton
Cast: Emmanuel Bilodeau, Mika Collins

Satellite Beach, USA
Directed by Andrew Wilson, Luke Wilson
Cast: Luke Wilson

Sinceridad (Sincerity), Spain – World Premiere
Directed by Andrea Casaseca Ferrer
Cast: Kiti Mánver, Javier Laorden, Gerald B. Fillmore

SOCIAL JUSTICE DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

Alfredo’s Fire, Italy/USA – World Premiere
Directed by Andy Abrahams Wilson
Featuring: Alfredo Ormando

Life on the Line, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Sally Rubin, Jen Gilomen
Featuring: Kimberly Torrez

Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution, USA
Directed by Matthew VanDyke
Featuring: Nour Keize, Omar Hattab

SHORTS PRECEDING FEATURES

Ahco On the Road, South Korea/USA
Directed by Soyeon Kim

Mr. Hublot, France/Luxembourg
Directed by Laurent Witz

Mia, Belgium/Netherlands
Directed by Wouter Bongaerts

Mirage, USA
Directed by Iker Maidagan
Cast: Veronica Taylor, Marc Diralson, Jack Schram

SANTA BARBARA DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

The Alchemistress, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Andrew Schoneberger
Cast: Lindsey Ross (voice)

A Life in Pictures, USA
Directed by Scott Erickson

Mabon “Teenie” Hodges – A Portrait of a Memphis Soul, USA
Directed by Susanna Vapnek
Cast: Mabon Teenie Hodges, Leroy Hodges, Charles Hodges, Archie Turner

Tar Wars, USA
Directed by Emily de Moor

Where the Wonder Went, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Bryan Latchford
Cast: Amir Abo-Shaeer, David Tilman, Julia Bowen, Zachary King

SANTA BARBARA SHORTS

Break Dreams, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Paul Mathieu
Cast: Garrett Swann, Susan Isaaks, Mary Jo Eustace

Chrysalis, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Carissa Stutzman
Cast: Amber Bela Muse, Ashley Katz, Erin Buckley

Greetings from Seaward, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Ryan Murphy and Nate Ptacek
Cast: Billy Smith (voice)

Long Way Down, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Sam Benenati
Cast: Peter Dach

Martha Cook, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Tony Estrada
Cast: Ben Zisk, Karina Bustillos

Other People, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Joakim Svensson
Cast: Maria Oliveira, Ryan Denman

The Plastic Pest, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Jessica Hokanson

Present Trauma, USA
Directed by Mark Manalo
Cast: Patrick John Flueger, Alimi Ballard, Bre Blair

ReMoved, USA
Directed by Nathanael Matanick
Cast: Abby White

Teddy, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Ali Lassoued
Cast: Al Keys, Andre Battle, Carter Battle,

Trespass, USA – World Premiere
Directed by Keith Schwalenberg
Cast: Manny Jimenez, Lance Irwin, Oliviah Crawford

YOUTH CINEMEDIA 2014 SHORT DOCUMENTARIES

Anaheim Uprising: The Police Killing of Manuel Angel Diaz, USA

Tesuque Grandmother Speaks, USA

Killer Cops Off Our Streets, USA

Dissent is Not a Crime, USA

No Letters Allowed Behind Bars, USA

Behind the Music of Los Bandits, USA
Hideous Hair, USA

Old Town Orange, USA

Gang Injunctions Under the Microscope, USA

In the Studio with Navajo Artist Clifford Brycelea, USA

Hospital Horror, USA

Aztlan Unplugged, USA

Innocent Bystander, USA

Stop Killing Our Sons, USA
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Jane Campion to Head 2014 Cannes Film Festival Jury

New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion and the only woman to win the coveted Palme d’Or, will head the jury at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the organizers announced Tuesday. “I am truly honored to join with the Cannes Film Festival as President of the ‘in Competition’ features for 2014,” said Campion in a statement. “To tell the truth I can’t wait,” added Campion who succeeds last year’s jury head Steven Spielberg. Campion who won the Palme d’Or for “The Piano” in 1993 also holds the distinction as the only double winner, her short “Peel” having picked up the top prize in that category in 1986.

The 67th Cannes film festival will run from May 14 to 25, 2014.
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QISSA to Oficially Open 2014 International Film Festival Rotterdam | See VIDEO + Images

The European premiere of QISSA by Indian director Anup Singh will officially open the 43rd International Film Festival Rotterdam on Wednesday 22 January, 2014. Set in post-colonial India, QISSA tells the story of Umber Singh, a Sikh, who is forced to flee his village due to ethnic cleansing at the time of partition in 1947. Umber decides to fight fate and builds a new home for his family. When Umber marries his youngest child Kanwar to Neeli, a girl of lower caste, the family is faced with the truth of their identities; where individual ambitions and destinies collide in a struggle with eternity.

http://youtu.be/iSkDtN2AE7c

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See Complete List of 21 Films Competing for Cine Latino Award at 2014 Palm Springs International Film Festival

GLORIA

The 25th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) announced the 21 films eligible for the Cine Latino Award, which will be presented to the best Ibero-American film screening at the Festival. The list of films include GLORIA directed by Sebastian Lelio and Chile’s entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the Oscars. GLORIA stars Paulina García who won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for her performance as a vivacious, middle-aged divorcée who finds what may be her last chance for love while grooving on the dance floor of the local singles club. PSIFF is scheduled to run January 3-13, 2014.

This year’s eligible films are:

15 Years and One Day (Spain), Director: Gracia Querejeta
Anina (Uruguay/Colombia), Director: Alfredo Soderguit
Coast of Death (Spain), Director: Lois Patiño
Gloria (Chile/Spain), Director: Sebastián Lelio
Grazing the Sky (Spain/Portugal/Mexico), Director: Horacio Alcalá
Heli (Mexico/Germany/Netherlands/France), Director: Amat Escalante
Ignasi M.  (Spain), Director: Ventura Pons
La jaula de oro (Mexico/Spain), Director: Diego Quemada-Diez
Last Call (Mexico), Director: Francisco Franco
Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed (Spain), Director: David Trueba
Purgatorio  (Mexico/USA), Director: Rodrigo Reyes
Rabbit Woman (Argentina/Spain), Director: Verónica Chen
Reaching for the Moon (Brazil), Director: Bruno Barreto
Roa (Colombia/Argentina), Director: Andrés Baiz
Root (Chile), Director: Matías Rojas Valencia
Tattoo (Brazil), Director: Hilton Lacerda
The German Doctor (Argentina), Director: Lucía Puenzo
The Magnetic Tree (Spain/Chile), Director: Isabel Ayguavives
The Mute  (Peru/France, Mexico), Director: Daniel Vega & Diego Vega
The Searches (Mexico), Director: José Luis Valle
The Summer of Flying Fish (Chile/France), Director: Marcela Said
Read more
DC Independent Film Festival Unveils Finalists Films for 2014 Festival Set For Feb 19 to 23

From over 1,000 submitted films, the DC Independent Film Festival announced the finalists films selected to screen in the upcoming festival set for February 19 to 23, 2014. The feature film finalist include 3 MILE LIMIT, BLOOD AND CIRCUMSTANCE, FINDING NEIGHBORS, GREENCARD WARRIORS, LAWRENCE & HOLLOMAN, PAAT, SONS OF THE CITY, THE TOASTMASTER, and THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL. The documentary finalists include BROTHERS HYPNOTIC, FUREVER, OFIR, PARTNERS FOR PEACE, THE ROAD TO FAME, and THIS AIN’T NO MOUSE MUSIC!.

FEATURE FILM FINALISTS

3 MILE LIMIT
Directed by Craig Newland
(New Zealand /2013 / 105mins / DC Premiere)
Lead Cast: Matt Whelan and Belinda Crawley
It’s 1965 and rock music is shaking up the world but not in New Zealand. Richard Davis is determined to break the Government’s monopoly on broadcasting and bring rock n’ roll to the younger generation, and at the same time hold onto the woman he loves. A pirate radio station is born (based on a true story).

BLOOD AND CIRCUMSTANCE

Directed by Tim Gordan
(USA / 2014 / 97mins / World Premiere)
Lead Cast: Nathan Keyes, Cynthia Watros, David Baker
Inmate Joel Stabler is being examined by a psychiatrist charged with determining whether Joel is fit to stand trial. The result is a psychological puzzle box, filled with questions in a world where there are no easy answers.

FINDING NEIGHBORS

Directed by Ron Judkins
(USA / 2013 / 96mins / East Coast Premiere)
Lead Cast: Michael O’Keefe, Blake Bashoff, Catherine Dent, Julie Mont
Late on a book delivery, stay-at-home graphic novelist Sam Tucker battles a mid-life crisis. A comedic drama about the relationships between next-door neighbors as they explore creativity, aging, sexuality and friendship.

GREENCARD WARRIORS

Directed by Miriam Kruishoop
(USA / 2013 / 90 mins / East Coast Premiere)
Lead Cast; Angel Amaral and Manny Perez
The story of 14-year-old Angel, an undocumented Latino teen, and his family in Los Angeles struggling to find their place in American society; set against the backdrop of American military intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan.

LAWRENCE & HOLLOMAN

Directed by Matthew Kowalchuk
(Canada/ 2013 / 88mins / US Premiere)
Lead Cast: Amy Matysio, Ben Cotton, Daniel Arnold
Lawrence is an ever-optimistic suit salesman for whom everything always goes right — until he takes the cynical and suicidal credit collector Holloman under his wing, and everything starts to go very wrong. Based on the hilarious play by two-time Governor General’s Award winning writer Morris Panych.

PAAT

Directed by Amir Toodehroosta
(Iran / 2013 / 77mins / US Premiere)
Lead Cast: Mostafa Sasani, Saed Soheili, Sonia Sanjari, Negar Hasanzade, Jamshid Noori, Mandana Nosrati, Fahime Dabbaghi, Babak Hamidifard, Behzad Ashkan, Maryam Movaghar
One dog, a big city, three women and a few days. Many stories, but just the one dog.

SONS OF THE CITY

Directed by Marcus Richardson
(USA / 2014 / 77mins / World Premiere)
Lead Actor: Howard Brown
After the murder of his best friend, DC native Joe Young’s bright future is thrown into a war he does not want to fight yet cannot find the courage to leave.

THE TOASTMASTER

Directed by Eric Boadella
(Spain and USA / 2013 / 81mins / East Coast Premiere)
Lead Cast: David Hovan. Kali Flanagan and Sevag Mahserejian
After a weekend of surreal adventures, Alek and Uncle Kapriel realize that, although they use very different tools—cinematography and actors versus poetry and cognac—their ultimate goal is the same: to immortalize a story.

THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL

Directed by Patrick Shearer
(USA / 2013 / 77mins / DC Premiere)
Lead Cast: Jessi Gotta, Nat Kennedy
New York City. 2016. Roommates Margot and Daniel attempt to survive this ‘new’ New York by avoiding it at all costs. But with the advent of three strange deaths in their Brooklyn building…

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

BROTHERS HYPNOTIC
Directed by Reuben Atlas
Netherlands & USA / 2013 / 86mins
The eight young men in the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are all sons of anti-establishment Chicago jazz musician, Phil Cohran. They grew up in the same house, in a family of 24 siblings, on a strict diet of jazz, funk, and Black Consciousness. Now grown, they must decide whether their fathers’ principles really are their own.

FUREVER
Directed by Amy Finkel
USA / 2013 / 80mins
An exploration of the dimensions of grief people experience over the loss of a pet, Furever confronts assumptions regarding attachment, religion, ritual, grief, and death, and studies the bonds that form between humans and animals, both psychological and physiological.

OFIR
Directed by Mark McDannald
USA / 2013 / 58mins
When Ofir Drori discovered that no one was fighting to disprove Jane Goodall’s dark prophecy that apes in the wild would soon be extinct, he decided that he was the man for the job.   Fearless guerilla filmmaking to save the gorillas.

PARTNERS FOR PEACE
Directed by Ed Kucerak
Canada / 2013 / 101mins
Under the leadership of Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams and Mairead Maguir, a delegation of American and Canadian women journey to Israel and Palestine to learn about the decades-long conflict and to reach out in solidarity to women activists forging a path toward peace.

THE ROAD TO FAME
Directed by Hao Wu
China / 2013 / 80mins
A rare, intimate look at the coming-of-age of some of China’s most promising yet confused youth as we follow the rehearsal process of the graduating class at China’s top drama academy staging ‘Fame’ the musical, China’s first official collaboration with Broadway.

THIS AIN’T NO MOUSE MUSIC!
Directed by Chris Simon and Maureen Gosling
USA / 2013 / 92mins
The story of Chris Strachwitz, the guiding force behind the legendary Arhoolie Records. Since 1960, Strachwitz has traveled with tape-recorder in hand to plantations and prisons, roadhouses and whorehouses, churches and bayou juke joints. He returned with recordings that would revolutionize the sound of popular music.

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

A SYNAPTIC ADVENTURE: TOURETTES AND BEYOND
Directed by Stephen Dijoseph
USA / 2013 / 12mins
A humorous and insightful journey through the mind of a composer/performing artist who grew up, lives and thrives with Tourette’s Syndrome .

ACE OF DIAMONDS
Directed by Anna Overgaard
USA / 2013 / 34mins
Nelson Dellis climbs mountains to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s research and defends his extraordinary title of two-time U.S. National World Memory Champion.

GUARDIAN OF GUANO
Directed by Ana Elisa Sotelo
USA / 2013 / 12mins
Isolation, commitment and knowledge shape the powerful work of guarding island birdlife in Peru.

LEAVING SHARPE
Directed by Justin Reifert
USA / 2013 / 12mins
In 2013, Washington D.C. Public Schools closed 15 schools in an attempt to cut costs and reduce under-enrollment. Sharpe Health, a school for students with special needs, was among them and the impact is real.

NO STRANGERS
Directed by Steven Kochones
USA / 2012 / 27mins
A celebration of cultural diversity through the images and commentary of acclaimed photographers, anthropologists and ethnographers.

SEARCHING FOR PERFECTION
Directed by Sergey Gavrilov
Russian Federation / 2013 / 18mins
Californian born ballerina – Joy Annabelle Womack – moved on her own at the age of 15 to Russia to dance Russian classic ballet professionally.

WHEELCHAIR DIARIES: ONE STEP UP
Directed by Reid Davenport
USA / 2013 / 27mins
Director Reid Davenport has cerebral palsy and was discouraged from studying in Europe based on his disability…so he went to Europe to find out the truth.
ANIMATION FINALISTS

A Life with Asperger’s
Directed by Jamie Ekkens  (USA / 2013 / 4mins)

Creation & Hope
Directed by Keith Carter and Gia Kereselidze (USA / 2013 / 10mins)

Dogonauts: Enemy Line
Directed by Shel Rasch (USA / 2013 / 17mins)

Elysian Fields
Directed by Ina Conradi (Singapore/ 2013 / 10:50mins)

Fallt
Directed by Chadwick Whitehead (USA / 2013 / 2:06mins)

Fibonacci Bread
Directed by Danijel Zezelj  (Croatia / 2012 / 7:40mins)

Girl Meets Boys
Directed by Shiyu Luo  (China / 2013 / 2:31mins)

Handle With Care
Directed by Jun Iwakawa  (UK / 2013 / 4:30mins)

Light Me Up
Directed by Derek Dolechek and Ryan Walton  (USA / 2012 / 9mins)

Salmon Deadly Sins
Directed by Steven Vander Meer (USA/ 2013 / 7mins)

Sidewalk
Directed by Celia Bullwinkel  (USA / 2013 / 4:15mins)

Sausage
Directed by Robert Grieves  (UK / 2013 / 8mins)

Si Lunchai
Directed by Hannes Rall  (Germany / 2013 / 8:36mins)

The Missing Scarf
Directed by Eoin Duffy (Ireland / 2013 / 6:35mins)

The Rose of Turaida
Directed by Ryan Grobins (Australia / 2013 / 6:13mins)

Virtuoso Virtuell
Directed by Thomas Stellmach and Maja Oschmann  (Germany / 2013 / 7:20mins)

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VIDEO: Watch TRAILER for Mona Fastvold’s THE SLEEPWALKER to World Premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival

The first trailer is released for Mona Fastvold’s feature debut THE SLEEPWALKER starring Gitte Witt, Christopher Abbott, Brady Corbet, and Stephanie Ellis, scheduled to World Premiere in In Compeitition at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. THE SLEEPWALKER chronicles the unraveling of the lives of four disparate characters as it transcends genre conventions and narrative contrivance to reveal something much more disturbing.

A young couple, Kaia and Andrew, are renovating Kaia’s secluded family estate. Their lives are violently disrupted upon the unexpected arrival of Kaia’s sister, Christine, and her fiance, Ira…Prior tensions and jealousies burgeon as new alliances form and childhood patterns resurface.

As the days grow darker and the nights more disturbing, Kaia is forced to confront Christine’s increasingly tangled perception of reality, which in turn may have begun to alter her own. When one of the four characters goes missing, the three left behind are flung into upheaval trying to fill in the blanks.

http://youtu.be/tvMfrpid7Rg
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Fargo Film Festival Unveils 2014 Documentary Shorts; FRAMING THE OTHER Wins Best Documentary Short | VIDEO

FRAMING THE OTHER directed by Willem Timmers and Ilja Kok

The Fargo Film Festival unveiled its official program of documentary shorts for the 2014 festival. FRAMING THE OTHER directed by Willem Timmers and Ilja Kok is announced as the winner of Best Documentary Short. FRAMING THE OTHER is a short documentary about tourism and its complex relationships with indigenous communities. It reveals the intriguing thoughts of a Mursi woman from Southern Ethiopia and that of a Dutch tourist as they prepare themselves for meeting each other. This ultimately results in an awkward encounter. Duk County directed byJordan Campbell received an Honorable Mention.

http://youtu.be/owIX60_vIZI

OFFICIAL SELECTIONS:

Call Me Ehsaan (Micah Garen)

Cardboard Titanias (Sam Frazier, Jr.)

A Good Wife (Linda Brieda)

Haenyeo: Women of the Sea (Kevin Sawicki)

Herd in Iceland (Lindsay Blatt)

I Never Said I Wasn’t Happy (Sara Peak Convery)

Life Changing Moments (Sherry Thomas)

The No Name Painting Association (Joe Griffin)

The Pier (Chris Abernathy)

Sweet Crude Man Camp (Isaac Gale)

There She Is (Emily Sheskin)
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Finalists Named for 2014 Beaufort International Film Festival

The Eighth Annual Beaufort International Film Festival taking place from February 12 to 16, 2014, has announced the finalists of the 34 films and screenplays selected in the categories of animation, documentary, short film, student film and features.

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Pratibha Parmar’s ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTH Wins “Public Award for Best Film Directed by a Woman of Color” at the 2013 African Diaspora International Film Festival

ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTH

Pratibha Parmar, director of ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTH is the winner of the “Public Award for Best Film Directed by a Woman of Color” at the 2013 African Diaspora International Film Festival. The runner up is SPIES OF MISSISSIPPI by Dawn Porter. ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTH is the story of Alice Walker’s journey from her birth in a paper-thin shack in the cotton fields of Eatonton, Georgia to her recognition as a key writer of the 20th Century. Alice Walker made history as the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her groundbreaking novel, The Color Purple.

http://youtu.be/H-a49NJIuH4

SPIES OF MISSISSIPPI

SPIES OF MISSISSIPPI tells the story of a secret spy agency formed by the state of Mississippi to preserve segregation and maintain white supremacy. The anti-civil rights organization was hidden in plain sight in an unassuming office in the Mississippi State Capitol. Funded with taxpayer dollars and granted extraordinary latitude to carry out its mission, the Commission evolved from a propaganda machine into a full blown spy operation. How do we know this is true? The Commission itself tells us in more than 146,000 pages of files preserved by the State. This wealth of first person primary historical material guides us through one of the most fascinating and yet little known stories of America’s quest for Civil Rights.

http://youtu.be/GSTWn7asTNU

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Berlin International Film Festival Announces First Films for Panorama 2014; Jalil Lespert’s YVES SAINT LAURENT to Open Program

Daniel Ribeiro’s Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho (The Way He Looks)

19 films have been invited to join the lineup for Panorama 2014 at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival taking place February 6 to 16, 2014. Jalil Lespert’s latest film YVES SAINT LAURENT has been selected to open the Panorama Special program. Other films confirmed to date are new works by Michel Gondry, Kutluğ Ataman, Robert Lepage, Sophie Fillières, Benjamin Heisenberg, Maximilian Erlenwein, John Michael McDonagh, and Tsai Ming-liang. Directorial debuts from the USA includes THINGS PEOPLE DO by Saar Klein and THE BETTER ANGELS by A. J. Edwards. Films from Latin America include two Brazilian productions – Daniel Ribeiro’s Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho (THE WAY HE LOOKS), and Marcelo Gomes’ and Cao Guimarães’ O Homem das Multidões (THE MAN OF THE CROWD).

Arrête ou je continue (If You Don’t, I Will)
France
By Sophie Fillières
With Emmanuelle Devos, Mathieu Amalric
World premiere

Bai Mi Zha Dan Ke (The Rice Bomber)
Taiwan
By Cho Li
With Huang Chien-wei, Nikki Hsieh, Michael Chang
World premiere

Bing Du (Ice Poison)
Taiwan / Myanmar
By Midi Z
With Wang Shin-Hong, Wu Ke-Xi
World premiere

Calvary
Ireland / Great Britain
By John Michael McDonagh
With Brendan Gleeson, Chris O’Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aidan Gillen
European premiere

Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho (The Way He Looks)
Brazil
By Daniel Ribeiro
With Ghilherme Lobo, Tess Amorim, Fabio Audi
World premiere

Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?
France
By Michel Gondry
With Noam Chomsky
European premiere

O Homem das Multidões (The Man of the Crowd)
Brazil
By Marcelo Gomes, Cao Guimarães
With Paulo André, Silvia Lourenço
International premiere

Papilio Buddha
India / USA
By Jayan Cherian
With Kallen Pokkudan, Saritha Sunil, Sreekumar SP, David Briggs, Prakash Bare, Thampy Antony
European premiere

Quick Change
Philippines
By Eduardo Roy Jr.
With Mimi Juareza, Jun jun Quintana, Miggs Cuaderno, Natashia Yumi, Francine Garcia
International premiere

Stereo
Germany
By Maximilian Erlenwein
With Jürgen Vogel, Moritz Bleibtreu, Petra Schmidt-Schaller, Georg Friedrich, Rainer Bock
World premiere

Test
USA
By Chris Mason Johnson
With Scott Marlowe, Matthew Risch
European premiere

The Better Angels
USA
By A. J. Edwards
With Jason Clarke, Diane Kruger, Brit Marling, Wes Bentley
International premiere

The Lamb
Germany / Turkey
By Kutluğ Ataman
With Nesrin Cavadzade, Cahit Gök, Mert Taştan, Sıla Lara Cantürk, Nursel Köse
World premiere

Things People Do
USA
By Saar Klein
With Wes Bentley, Jason Isaacs, Vinessa Shaw, Haley Bennett
World premiere

Triptyque (Triptych)
Canada
By Robert Lepage, Pedro Pires
With Lise Castonguay, Frédérike Bédard, Hans Piersbergen
International premiere

Über-Ich und Du (Superegos)
Germany / Switzerland / Austria
By Benjamin Heisenberg
With André Wilms, Georg Friedrich
World premiere

Unfriend
Philippines
By Joselito Altarejos
World premiere

Xi You (Journey to the West)
France / Taiwan
By Tsai Ming-liang
With Lee Kang-sheng, Denis Lavant
World premiere

Yves Saint Laurent
France
By Jalil Lespert
With Pierre Niney, Guillaume Gallienne, Charlotte Le Bon, Laura Smet, Marie De Villepin
International premiere – Opening film Panaroma Special
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